T.B. Subasinghe commemoration

A commemorative program to mark the 95th birth anniversary of T.B.
Subasinghe, a former Speaker, a Minister and an Ambassador, organized by
the T.B. Subasinghe Memorial Foundation will be held at Sandalankawa and
Pannala tomorrow August 29.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka will preside at a public
meeting to be held on Saturday afternoon at the Community Hall, Pannala
at the conclusion of commemorative ceremonies.

A founder member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Subasinghe
entered national politics when he successfully contested the Bingiriya
seat at the 1947 Parliamentary general elections. He polled a record
high percentage of votes at this election, that all four rival
candidates lost their deposits. This record remains unparalleled in the
history of national elections in this country. Subasinghe was returned
to Parliament from Bingiriya at the 1956 general election and was
appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the MEP Government led
by the late SWRD Bandaranaike.

He was unanimously elected Speaker of Parliament following the 1960
general election which saw the short-lived UNP-led coalition government
take office.

Subasinghe served as the Industries and Scientific Affairs Minister
of the United People's Front Government that took office in 1970.

Later, Subasinghe served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the Soviet
Union and the role he played in promoting and strengthening relations
between Sri Lanka and the Soviet Union as the Ambassador came in for
praise even by his political rivals. The younger brother of Vincent
Subasinghe of Sandalankawa hailed as the father of the co-operative
movement in the country, T.B Subasinghe was a prominent figure in the
Suriyamal Movement which became the springboard for the Marxist and
anti-imperialist movements in the country.

A son of a wealthy planter, T.B. Subasinghe moved closely with the
peasantry of the Sath Korale and looked into their needs. He led a
simple life and was accessible to people at all times of the day.

The T.B. Subasinghe Memorial Foundation with the participation of the
members of the Subasinghe family offered a Sanghika dana to the Maha
Sangha at the Shastrodaya Piriven Viharaya at Hendiyagala on August 22
to transfer merit to the late social worker and politician.